Crashing Down
by AmberyAmber
Summary: Everything can fall apart in a instant; disaster doesn't care if you're becoming an apprentice, or a warrior, or even if you're going to receive your nine lives and take on the suffix -star. Disaster doesn't have feelings. It just doesn't care. Full summery on profile. Rated T for vioence.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The clear skies and warm air promised another gorgeous green-leaf night. A slight breeze rustled through the pine needles and branches, the gentle noise mixing with the soft chirping of crickets. The half-moon floated as clear as ever in the night, it standing out over the many stars that dotted the darkness. StarClan had assured them a good visit to the Moonstone.

I sauntered through ShadowClan territory, avoiding any deep puddles of mud. Fortunately, it hadn't rained for a couple sunrises, which dried up the usually mud-covered ground. Still the ground was plaque with the occasional patch of grime. Eventually, I made my way out of the mushy ShadowClan territory and onto WindClan's bare land.

Not a single tree dotted their landscape, which immediately made me feel edgy and tense. Our territory had a fair share of patches and clearings where the sky was visible, but here there was no shelter. None at all. Tall grass carpeted the landscape with a clear sky above. I always wondered whenever I ventured out onto WindClan territory if they shared a closer connection with StarClan, for they didn't have any trees, branches or leaves to block their view. Plus, they were the closest to Highstones.

I focused my attention to a slab of rock a couple tail-lengths ahead of me. It shown a silver color in the moon light. The medicine cats met there so they could continue their journey together. We exchanged remedies for treating wounds and sickness, swapped news of new kittens, apprentices and warriors, gossiped about cats and just plain had a good _mrrow_ of laughter. I wished that the Clans would get along like we did.

Since the rock lacked any cats besides me, I assumed that I arrived at the rock either too early or too late. Judging by where the moon hovered above, my guess was too early. I didn't mind. I always felt closer to StarClan on WindClan territory.

With a small bound forward and a leap, I perched myself on the rock. I scanned my surroundings and caught a glimpse of shining, round eyes and five silhouettes in the distanced. Five cats, it looked like. That had to be them.

It only felt like a pawful of heartbeats before the group of cats approached, and I sprang off the rock to greet them. The smallest cat, an adorable little gray-and-white furball, bounded up till he was just a tail-length away. He craned his neck up at me, and I looked down to meet his gaze. "Are you Spottedwing?" he asked, his voice rising into a question.

"I am." I dipped my head in acknowledgement, "Are you Icepaw, the new RiverClan medicine cat apprentice?"

"The one and only!" he chimed, puffing out is fur and holding his head high, but the pride in his green eyes was suddenly replaced with curiosity. "Do you ShadowClan cats really eat toads?" he busted out like the question had been bugging him.

I stifled a purr and did my best to look as serious as possible; eyes dim, fur flat, tail still. "In a world without ShadowClan, the toads eat you." I wouldn't have traded the look on his face for a season's worth of freshkill.

My gaze drifted to the group of cats who padded up behind Icepaw, their eyes all bright with amusement. A dark-colored cat strode up beside the apprentice, her tail brushing his pelt. "I see you have met Spottedwing," she purred softly, looking fondly at Icepaw. "She's not as scary as you thought, is she now?"

Icepaw's only reply was silence, mouth hanging about slightly ajar. My whiskers twitched in amusement. "I'm probably even scarier than he thought, Nightflower." I meowed, trying to keep my serious demeanor going.

"Yes, because a small tortoiseshell she-cat looks so threatening." Stormwhisker, the ThunderClan medicine cat, grumbled.

Just before I had time to reply, a crumbly, aged voice arose from edge of our group. "Can we walk and talk?"

"Oh, I suppose it wouldn't be a good thing to arrive late at Highstones." Nightflower admitted, flicking her tail as she broke into a purr, "You're always keeping us in line my dear Thistlepelt."

The WindClan medicine cat only huffed in reply.

In all honesty, Thistlepelt vexed me. I don't know how Nightflower could act so light hearted. He and his apprentice, Whitepaw, hardly ever meowed a word. It's like they swore to StarClan to only speak if necessary. Plus there was his brown fur that stuck out at every possible angle. I just wanted to groom him, as odd as that sounds. And then there were his eyes. Oh, his eyes. They were as piercing as a thorn; a bright yellow; and he always kept them narrowed like he was suspecting something. Whenever Thistlepelt looked at me, I wanted to stare back, but I just couldn't force myself to do it. Not much bothered me, but he sure did.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I took the lead in the trek towards Highrocks. Nightflower took her place by my side with Icepaw trailing behind. "What did you say to him? I've never seen him this quiet. Even as a kit, he always was louder than his siblings; always mewling like there was no tomorrow! I want to know your trick." she murmured, sneaking a green-eyed glance back at the apprentice.

"I told him why we eat toads."

"What _exactly_ did you say?" she pressed, looking at me with amused eyes.

"That we eat toads because if we didn't, they'd eat us." I muttered simply with a flick of my ear, again trying to sound serious.

Nightflower broke into a purr. "I'll have to tell that to the next cat who asks us if we eat fish."

We chatted like that all the way to Highrocks, Stormwhisker occasionally adding something to the conversation while Icepaw still tried to wrap his mind around cat-eating toads. Eventually, we crossed the thunderpath and climbed our way to Highstones.

"Finally, my paws are aching!" Icepaw complained, the first time he had spoken for a while. "And I'm starving!"

"I'll give you something when we get back to camp for your paws, and you can share a rabbit with me." Nightflower promised softly, licking the tom on the head. "Are you ready to speak with StarClan?"

He nodded his head, but it looked more like an attempted to dodge his mentor's tongue. "Hey, do you think it will be okay if I ask StarClan if any cat has died from being eaten by a toad?" he question, glancing back at me.

"Spottedwing was only joking about that," Nightflower meowed, her voice light with amusement.

"Well… can I still ask?" Icepaw looked up at his dark-furred mentor with wide, curious blue eyes.

"No, you better not." I butted in, not really wanting to get either of us in trouble. "Now, shall we go?"

As the five cats nodded and murmured in agreement, I led the way into the cave. Just a couple pawsteps in and my companions and I were drenched in darkness with the faintest bit of light glowing behind us. Silence fell over us, and we took the path our ancestors took before us. I could feel each stone and pebble beneath my paws with each step I took. I closed my eyes, letting my memory take over. A few heartbeats later, I opened my eyes. Light filtered in through a hole in the ceiling, soaking a round, smooth rock in silvery moonlight. My heart raced.

I crouched down beside the Moonstone, admiring the rock briefly before pressing my nose to it and shutting my eyes. The shuffling of paws against rock told me that the other medicine cats had settled down beside me, taking their place by the Moonstone. Then all I could here was gentle breathing. It took only a few more heartbeats for me to drift off to sleep.

What I opened my eyes to was worse than any nightmare I had ever dreamt. Flames engulfed every tree, bush and blade of grass in sight, spreading their boiling rage through everything in their way. The wild creature of fire refused to be tamed, growing harsher and harsher by each heartbeat. The dizzying radiant heat from the blazes pulled me in deeper into the burning abyss as I struggled to fight it. The scent of smoke reeked in my nostrils, scorching and sweltering hot. I ducked away from the violently whipping flames, ashes burning my eyes. The place I once called StarClan, powdered under the powers of the golden and crimson flares.

A screech came from behind me and I whipped around, eyes wide with terror. "You have to get out! Now!" I didn't even recognize the cat that yowled at me; I had never seen her before.

"What's happening?" I questioned urgently, racing towards the cat.

"Disaster!" the StarClan cat shrieked. "Wake up, now! Warn the Clans!"

I only blinked in shock, and the flaming terrain switched to darkness. There were clunks and bangs that echoed through the tunnels, and the ground beneath my paws was shaking. A high-pitched shriek that must have come from Icepaw rang over the thudding. Then I saw why he had cried out like that. The celling was starting to crumble away, sending a shower of rocks cascading down on us. Larger and larger chunks started to crash down.

A harsh jolt of fear hit me like a monster on a thunderpath as I realized what was going on; Mothermouth was collapsing.

Anxiety churning in my stomach, I violently started to shake Nightflower, yowling at the top of my lungs. No matter how hard I tried, the she-cat's eyes stayed closed. I even dug my claws into her fur, drawing blood. Nothing was working! Why wasn't she waking up? "For StarClan's sake, wake up!" I snarled, my fear turning to rage. "WAKE UP!"

When as I was about to try to rouse another cat, maybe even try to escape without the others, a squeal of terror sounded from behind me. I turned away from Nightflower just in time to witness a massive rock plummet to the ground, crushing Icepaw like a bug. More rocks, stones and pebbles rained down as I gawked in shock and horror. Finally, I took a shaky breath. But when I inhaled, the smell of fresh blood and fear scent entered my nose.

I squeezed my eyes shut, helplessness welling inside my heart. Dust now was filling my lungs, and I found it harder and harder to breath with every breath. Suddenly, pain and agony exploded in me for half a heartbeat, and then I felt nothing.

* * *

**Author's Note**

So, there's the Prologue. I wasn't quite sure how to start this story, which is why it took me so long to post this. Finally I decided to do it this way. The characters in this chapter aren't the main ones, by the way. This was more just to introduce the plot. Oh, and if you want the full summery, check my profile.

Anyways, you might notice how I wrote this. I tried writing as if I was the character, and I don't mean that in a first-person sense. Which is why some description and were phrases may seem a bit odd to you humans.

Well, I don't know when the next chapter will be, but expect it in about a week.

Bye~

Kudos to anybody who spotted the LawlClan reference.


	2. Chapter One: The Patrol

**Chapter One**

_The Patrol_

There it was; taunting me, just begging for me to lunge at it. I watched like a hawk, tensing every time it twitched. A growl rose in my throat at every movement it made, but I wasn't going to give in. Then it swished over the ground, stirring up a bit of dust. That was it; it was mine. In a single heartbeat, I sprang off my perch on the apprentice's den, landing squarely on my target. First, I pinned it down with my paws, and then I took it in my mouth to assure the capture.

"Hey!" A startled yelp broke my concentration, and my prey slipped out of my grasp. "That's my tail you toad-brain!"

Rolling onto my back and stretching my paws into the air, I looked at an upside-down tabby who tucked his white-tipped tail between his legs. "I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not." I chided, a daring look flickering in my eyes.

Now it was my turn to taunt him. I lied on my back so innocently, my dark green gaze meeting his. My paws were folded comfortably above me as if I didn't have a care in the world. I twitched my whiskers. As soon as his eyes narrowed, I knew I had him.

"Guess I'll have to make you sorry!" the tabby growled, lashing his tail in fake rage.

The tom crouched down, his striped shoulders hunching up over his backbone in a stalking position. Eyes twinkling mischievously, I watched him, waiting for him to make his move. It was obvious he was going to attack; it was just a matter of when. Just as he lurched, I flipped onto my paws and dodged him. "Ha," I gloated, "you missed, Hawkpaw!'

Briefly, Hawkpaw stared at the vacant ground beneath him. Lashing his tail at the loss, he got back into a normal standing position and shook the dust out of his golden-brown fur. "That just means I have room for improvement!" he meowed, his tone laced with positivity. That's what irritated my about him. The tabby was always blissful and in good spirits; nothing bothered him. How could Hawkpaw always be that happy?

"You'll always have room for improvement." I pointed out, shrugging at him.

"Then why don't we go improve ourselves now?" Hawkpaw suggested, "It's almost dusk, so it's a perfect time to go."

My paws itched to go out into the muddy, pine-dotted territory and escape the dullness of camp. "I think Swiftclaw is on the dusk patrol. Why don't we ask him if we can join?'

"Good idea! I should probably ask my mentor first; Sandstep is a bit strict about leaving without permission." Hawkpaw agreed, glancing about the camp for his mentor. When the tabby spotted the pale golden she-cat, he waved his ringed tail and trotted up to meet her.

While Hawkpaw took care of that, I bounded up to my mentor, who lingered at the camp entrance. His yellow eyes drifted away from the darkening sky and to me as I approached. "Hey, 'prentice, what have you been up to?" Swiftclaw questioned in his gruff voice.

"After our training session, I had a nap. Then I changed the moss in the nursery, then I went to our Clan meeting, and then I played, er trained, with Hawkpaw for a bit." I informed the black-and-white warrior with a curt nod.

"You and your brother get along very well. That's nice to see." He commented, his tone light.

"Anyways," I dismissed his statement, "Hawkpaw and I wanted to know if we could join the dusk patrol."

The black-and-white warrior seemed to think about this for a couple heartbeats, narrowing his eyes in thought and swishing his tail back and forth. I just watched him with an eager green gaze. As soon as his mouth started to open, I perked my ears. "Sure, I haven't brought you along on a patrol for a while. It's been a couple sunrises. You can come, and if it's okay with Sandstep, Hawkpaw can come too."

With my only reply to my mentor a gleeful glance, I whipped around and scanned the camp for my brother. Immediately, I spotted him on the edges of the camp with his back turned to me. Hawkpaw's white-tipped tail twitched about every other heartbeat, which made me compelled to spring at it again. Though, the tabby tom whisked around and bounded forward before I had time to even get into a crouch.

"Can you?" I questioned as soon as he was in earshot.

"Yeah, Darkpaw," the tom nodded, "but I had to answer a couple of questions about what Sandstep taught me during our hunting lesson today. That's why it took me so long. Oh, and she said that I had to bring her back a toad."

"Well, I'll have to catch a toad for Swiftclaw!" I snuck a glance back at my mentor, hoping to make him proud by the offer.

"If we have time," Swiftclaw agreed, flicking his ear. "I'll go get Redbird, Cricketsong and Blackfrost, since they have a great sense of time."

With that sarcastic note, Swiftclaw trotted off towards the warrior's den. Just as quickly as he entered, the tom slipped out, and three cats filed out behind him. Without even pausing at the camp entrance, Swiftclaw strode out of camp. I took a hasty step in front of Cricketsong to get behind him, quickening my pace.

As I inhaled, warm green-leaf air filled my lungs. I barely had time to appreciate that though, because the sights and sounds were overwhelming. And I mean that in a good way. The setting sun painted the sky an orangey-pink hue which faded to a darkening blue. The light lined the pine trees meandering branches and dark green needles the same color as my eyes. Some birds, a couple of finches, perched themselves a tail-length down from the top of a small pine, and flew away a couple heartbeats later. My gaze followed them as the frolicked and played in the open air. Their chirps mixed in with the croaking of frogs and the singing of crickets. It felt so clean, so pure, so unlike the cat-infested camp.

My ears twitched as a she-cat's voice broke through the peaceful dusk air, "So we're taking the WindClan border, right Swiftclaw, and that's it?" I glanced at the small ginger cat who had bounded up so she was just beside my mentor, head turned towards him. "That seems like a really tiny task for seven cats."

"There are six cats, Redbird." Swiftclaw pointed out dryly, his voice laced with irritation.

"Swiftclaw, Darkpaw, Cricketsong, Redbird- ooh, that's me- Hawkpaw and Blackfrost!" the ginger cat paused, and then her ears flattened back, "Oh, Swiftclaw, you're right! One, two, three, four, five, _six_! You're so smart!"

The black-and-white warrior's only reply was a lash of the tail.

Stifling a _mrrow_ of laughter, I lessoned my pace and matched it to Hawkpaw's. We exchanged a bright-eyed glance. It seemed we both shared the same, amused thoughts. My brother and I noticed that Foxfoot, the deputy and kin to Redbird, always seemed to put the ginger she-cat with Swiftclaw on patrols. We thought that Redbird and Foxfoot were working together just too aggravate Swiftclaw, which provided much entertainment for the two of us. Sometimes, Hawkpaw and I would create nest-time stories about why Foxfoot and Redbird would team up against my mentor. Surely there would be a new one at dawn.

Just as I opened my maw to say something to Hawkpaw, Swiftclaw stopped dead in his tracks and raised his tail strait into the air. Perking my ears and scenting the air, I tried to figure out why Swiftclaw had paused.

A pungent, herb-like smell bathed my sense of smell, causing my fur to bristle. The sucking and slopping of mud came not too far from where we were standing. No ShadowClan warrior would make that noise, as we were trained to avoid the sludge. It had to be an intruder, and by the smell of it, a WindClan intruder.

"Darkpaw, Hawkpaw, get in the trees and prepare for an aerial attack. Cricketsong, Redbird, take the sides. Blackfrost, you come with me." Swiftsclaw whispered the orders before he and Blackfrost charged off with careful pawsteps.

Immediately, the rest of us scattered. I leaped up a young sugar pine, weaving through the branches and keeping close to the trunk of the tree. The branches bent under my paws, making the outer twigs quiver. The little pokey branches scratched against my dark, golden-brown, tabby fur, which made me want to hiss in irritation. I perched on one of the thicker branches, crouched and ready to spring with my focus on the ground below me.

Swiftlclaw charged forward in a black-and-white streak, Blackfrost racing by his side. Redbird and Cricketsong closed in on the sides, prowling silently through the shadows. They were locked onto their target, a group of three intruding warriors picking their way through the muddy ground. When all four ShadowClan cats were just a couple fox-lengths away, one of the trespassers, a gray-and-white she-cat, froze.

"I… I think I scent ShadowClan." I could barely hear the meow from my spot in the pine.

A large, pale brown tom, who appeared to be leading the group, lashed his tail, unfazed by his companion's comment. He continued advancing through the mud while the other two warriors stood still. "Well of course you do, we're on _ShadowClan territory_ you heather-brain!"

That's when Swiftclaw and Blackfrost sprang out in front of them. The toms landed about a tail-length away from the intruders, their paws splashing up mud onto the WindClan cats. "And on ShadowClan territory," Swiftclaw snarled, flicking his tail, "You'll find ShadowClan warriors."

The pale brown cat took a step back, eyes wide with shock. That's when Redbird and Cricketsong abandoned their hiding spots, lunging out on opposite sides of the trespassers.

The cat that had scented us fluffed up her mud-covered fur in an attempt to look brave. "We're not h-here to cause trouble, we have some very important news! It's about the medicine cats!" the gray-and-white cat announced.

_The medicine cats._ That sparked my interest. Graystar, the ShadowClan leader, called a meeting about ours earlier that day. Spottedwing never returned from her trip to the moonstone the previous night, rendering her missing. He promised that if the tortoiseshell she-cat didn't return by midnight, a search party would be sent out. Spottedwing still hadn't returned. Maybe these intruders knew where she was.

"And that is?" Swiftclaw probed, still keeping his aggressive posture and tone.

All three of the WindClan cats exchanged an uneasy glance, a somber look forming in their eyes. A heartbeat later, the pale brown cat nodded to the gray-and-white she-cat, granting her permission to speak. "Mothermouth collapsed," she took in a shaky breath, "all the medicine cats are dead."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Well, I'm writing the author's note about 800 words into the story. I don't know why, but I felt like it. Maybe I am because this might show a little more about my writing process. I durno. Also, I may say things that may not make sense after reading the story, as I have not written it yet. XD

Anyways, I hope you liked how I started this first chapter. Usually it starts with the main character opening his or her eyes, so I thought I would switch it up a bit. I was trying to capture how a cat acts and thinks, as well as making a little curiosity in the first paragraph. Can you tell me if you liked it? I'm testing this writing style of getting more in touch with my characters. I'm also testing a first-person style where they only notice the things they actually would notice based on the character. Do you like it?

Does anybody have ideas on how to introduce Darkpaw's appearance? Or, if I did introduce it yet, do you like how I did it? That's a problem when writing in first person, or in this case first kitty. They character can't see himself. So, tell me as a reader what you think Darkpaw looks like.

Lastly, how are you liking the characters so far? In both a "Oh my god, I love this character! XD" kind of way and an "I think this character is well-written" sense.

Bye till chapter two!


	3. Chapter 2: Going Hunting

**Chapter Two**

_Going Hunting_

"Swiftclaw, why have you brought WindClan warriors into our camp?" Graystar demanded in an icy tone, eyes narrowed. It was clear that if Swiftclaw didn't have a good reason, the result would be punishment.

Our patrol granted the WindClan warriors permission to speak to the Clan, and we escorted them to our camp. As soon as we passed through the thick bramble bushes that served as our entrance, a mix of glares, hisses and growls greeted us. ShadowClan never took kindly to visitors.

Swiftclaw flicked his tail, not looking the slightest bit intimidated by the ShadowClan leader. "They have information concerning Spottedwing." He announced, the grave manner he used hinting bad news.

Graystar's gaze flickered across the three unwelcomed guests, and then the group of cats that brought them there. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Graystar gave a small nod. "Well?"

The gray-and-white she-cat raised her head, looking very uneasy under all the eyes that wavered off of the leader and onto her.

"We are sorry to disturb you, but this information couldn't wait till the next gathering. I'm Cloudstep, this is Dustbreeze," she glanced at the pale brown tom and then at the smaller tabby she-cat who stood between the two, "and this is Larkfeather. We're all WindClan warriors."

After taking a large, shaky breath, Cloudstep began to explain, "When Thistlepelt and Whitepaw didn't return, our Clan sent out a search party for the two. They found nothing on our territory, so Morningstar decided to go to Highstones and look for them. I was part of that search party. We-"

"I thought this was news about Spottedwing!"

The gray-and-white cat dismissed the comment, continuing a heartbeat later. "When we arrived, it was obvious that something was wrong. Mothermouth's entrance was crumbled away to just boulders and rocks." Cloudstep paused as gasps erupted in the clearing, lowering her gaze to her paws, "As we took a closer look, we realized the entire cave had collapsed. We searched for anything we could find. After a pawful of heartbeats, one of my Clan mates found... their bodies crushed under the rocks. We didn't have enough cats to move any of the rocks, so we went back to our camp and reported our findings. Morningstar sent out three cats to each Clan after she was informed, and she thinks the Clans should meet immediately at Four Trees to devise a plan."

Gazes trailed away from the WindClan cat, either moving to their paws or the ShadowClan leader. My own drifted to the gray cat perched on the fallen pine tree stump, waiting for his reaction. "And why would she think that?" Graystar's voice held no emotion as he spoke.

The pale brown tom introduced as Dustbreeze strode in front of Cloudstep, raising his head boldly. His green gaze met Graystar's yellow one. "This affects _all_ of us, not just your Clan or my Clan. There's no more Mothermouth, no more Moon Stone. How do you suspect we share dreams with StarClan? Not to mention all our Medicine Cats are dead. If a cat gets sick with greencough and that cat infects others, it would be devastating to _all_ of us." he meowed, seeming to speak not only to Graystar, but to the entire ShadowClan as he swept his eyes around the clearing.

Graystar flicked his tail, though his aloof demeanor remained the same. "Foxfoot, stay here and guard camp. Snowtail, Sandstep, Mudfur and Swiftclaw, come with me to Four Trees." he announced, not hesitating to leap off the stump and saunter towards the camp exit. The selected cats swiftly made their way after him.

I felt numb; even after letting the news soak in. My mind didn't seem to know what to think, but what _was_ I supposed to think? What was I supposed to feel? Besides her providing me thyme and poppy seeds once after I managed getting stuck at the tip-top of a small pine tree, Spottedwing and I lacked any sort of connection, but she was still my Clan mate. I wanted to be angry, very angry. However, what was I supposed to be furious at, rocks? I certainly couldn't be sad; tomcats didn't get sad.

Hoping to have some example of how I should be feeling, I shifted my dark green gaze to my brother, who stood rigid with his white-tipped tail drooping behind him. His dark eyes appeared dull, somber almost; a severe contrast from the usual peppy, blissful light. "Hawkpaw, are you okay?" I questioned.

"I know she tried." He murmured in reply.

"Huh?"

"Spottedwing, she tried. She would have. I remember when they brought back Pineshade from battle, and his wounds were so bad that everyone thought he was good as dead, but she didn't just give up on him. Spottedwing treated his wounds and got him to be conscious just for a little bit, but long enough so that we could all say our goodbyes. I know she would have tried to save everyone." Hawkpaw explained, his words shaky and uncontrolled, "She was a good cat."

Immediately, my eyes dropped to my paws as the mention of our lost father. Not many memories of Pineshade filled my mind, as he perished of his battle wounds when I was barely a moon old. I always assumed Hawkpaw, like me, held barely any memories of him, if at all. Before my jaw parted to reply, a gentle, melancholy voice beat me to it, "Why don't you two go to the apprentices den and sleep? You've had a hard day of training and work."

My mother gazed steadily at us with her yellow eyes, the look seeming comforting and secure. She padded up, settling herself between us. A warm sense replaced the emptiness beside me as her long-furred, tawny pelt brushed up against mine. "Go on, you deserve a nice rest." She added when our only reply was silence.

I simply nodded. With a sigh, Hawkpaw took on a completely different demeanor as he turned to face our den. "Okay, Brindlefeather," A heartbeat later, he froze. "I forgot to grab a toad for Sandstep! I-I need to catch her one, I promised her!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sure she won't mi-"

"No, I promised her I'd bring her one, so I'm going to. The Clan needs to eat no matter what. You, Darkpaw, you promised you'd catch one, too!" Hawkpaw insisted.

"Come on, Hawkpaw, you and your brother can catch one tomorrow. Rest," Brindlefeather meowed, a hint of stern weaving its way between the softer tones of her voice.

Hawkpaw opened his muzzle to meow something, but quickly shut it as if he reconsidered his choice of words. He flicked his ears, "Well, if Darkpaw wants to go, I'll go. If he wants to stay, I'll stay."

The thought of catching some prey for our Clan seemed rather tedious given the current situation, but I had another thing in mind besides hunting. "Like you said, the Clan needs to eat no matter what." I swished my tail over the ground, "Let's go,"

My mother sighed once before rasping her tongue over my dark tabby fur, and then Hawkpaw's . "Be careful you two… and you better check with Foxfoot before you leave."

"Okay," I nodded, stifling a twinge of excitement surging through me.

I trotted just a step ahead of Hawkpaw to the ginger warrior, who stood at the edge of camp with his dark green eyes trained on the cats murmuring with each other about the tragic events. With every pawstep I thought about what I was going to meow. Convincing our mother to go out was one thing, but Foxfoot? I figured I better take the strong, concerned Clanmate who wants to feed his Clan.

Before I even opened my muzzle to ask the question, he flicked his ear and gruffly meowed, "No,"

Despite him being the deputy, I wasn't shy about talking to him. "Foxfoot, sorry to talk back, but Hawkpaw and I think we should go hunting. The freshkill pile is low and we have no scheduled hunting patrols for today." I attempted to use my deepest, respectful voice, like how the warriors meow, not whine like kits.

The ginger tomcat shifted his gaze away from the mass of ShadowClan warriors, to us, to the freshkill pile, and then back to us. His whiskers twitched. "Hmm, that's not actually what I thought you were going to ask." Foxfoot huffed, "If you promise to stay near camp and only go for a short while, then yes."

"Yes, Foxfoot," I nodded, waving my tail before charging out of camp.

Once we traveled to the best hunting grounds for toads near our camp, a rather open, muddy area with a few towering pine trees, I reduced my trot into slow saunter. Hawkpaw slackened his pace as well, glancing over at me as I halted completely. "Do you really want to be hunting right now when the Clans are basically having a meeting right now?" I question, cocking my head.

Hawkpaw narrowed his eyes in confusion, drawing one paw out of the mud to take another step forward, "Well, no, but you said that you agreed with me that the-"

"We can still catch a couple toads, but we should go to the meeting afterwards." I suggested, and Hawkpaw let his paw slide back into the muck.

"But we weren't chosen by-"

"So? We don't have to show ourselves, but we can still watch and listen." I meowed in my hushed tone, "And they won't be able to smell us because there will be so many other scents."

Hawkpaw's eyes trailed to the ground, "That doesn't change the fact that we weren't chosen."

"Well, nobody said we _couldn't_ go."

"No, he said who _could_ go with him to Four Trees. And Foxfoot said to stay near camp." Hawkpaw argued in a soft voice.

Since logic didn't seem to be working on my brother as it did with most cats, I changed my tactics. I allowed disappointment to overtake my features. My ringed tail drooped to the ground, still as a rock in the mud. With my shoulders sulking, a crestfallen look showed dim in my eyes. "Ok, okay," I sighed, dragging my words out, "I _guess_ we can just hunt."

Hawkpaw remained silent for many heartbeats, and my eyes begged to glance up and see the effect my words left, but I kept them trained on the ground. "Cheer up, Darkpaw!" the golden-brown tabby nudged my shoulder, "I'll go, and we can catch frogs on our way back!"

Satisfaction glimmered in my heart, almost causing my whiskers to twitch. While I didn't want to lose my dejected attitude for the moment and raise suspicious that I was acting, I flicked my tail and mumbled, "Okay, Hawkpaw, they're at Four Trees, right?"

"Yep; Graystar said," he shifted his voice to a crisp, growl, imitating our leader, "…come with me to Four Trees."

My whiskers twitch once, allowing my brother to think he was cheering me up. I nudged him back a little harder than he had before, "Come on, let's go,"

* * *

**Author's Note**

****I haven't updated in at least a month, but I had a bit of writer's block for this. I almost feel as if this chapter should be longer, but I'm content with what's in this chapter; some character and plot development. I'm quite eager to keep writing now, as I have a more base plot in my mind and exactly what I want to happen. Usually I have bits and pieces that happen, the main plot events, but now I have lot's of little details planned out. As always, thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed!

Bye till chapter three!


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